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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Brook · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Brook

Brook isn’t graded for hazard risk: Brook has 900 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1986.

Flood claims
5
paid since 1986 · $17K
Disasters paid out here
5
of 16 declared for Newton County
By hazard

What Brook faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

River and rain flooding

76%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 54% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Tornadoes

11%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Earthquakes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hail Strong wind Ice storms Lightning Hurricanes Wildfire Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 25% of Brook’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Brook flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1986

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Brook, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
1986: 1 claim1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 2 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 1 claim2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 1 claim2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims198620032008
19862026
5
paid claims since 1986
$17K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$3K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Brook isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Newton County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Brook

Disasters that paid out in Brook itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Brook), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding5 households applied for aid$13K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
  2. 2007Snow$3K to the Town of Brook for repairs
  3. 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding2 households applied for aid$641 aid approved
  4. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding21 households applied for aid$40K aid approved$6K to the Town of Brook for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
  5. 1999In-winter Storm 12/23/98$2K to the Town of Brook for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in BrookNewton County only

Newton County has had 16 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Brook after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Brook archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Brook faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Brook

Does Brook flood?

Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Brook since 1986, $17K in all.

Is Brook in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Newton County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Brook?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Brook’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Brook?

By FEMA money that reached Brook, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2003): 21 households applied for aid, $40K approved, and $6K to the Town of Brook for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Brook.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Brook’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.